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He’s quiet for a moment and then nods. “Even though we’re competing for Staten Island, I would not go behind your back like that. Our families are tied together, and a slight against your family is a slight against mine. I will, however, have my men investigate who is behind the attack so we can form a united front and deal with the offending culprit before it escalates to full-blown war.”
Ivan falls silent again, listening to Alessandro. I get myself a soft drink and sit on a lounger as I wait for Ivan.
“Don’t worry. I have the best man for the job. I’ll keep you updated.”
Ivan hangs up and looks at me. “What information do you have?”
“None.” I shake my head. “I came straight here to find out if it was the Sorvinos, but clearly, it isn’t. I do, however, think the only other family with enough manpower to challenge either of our families is the Gobulevs.” I meet his eyes, and Ivan sighs.
“Don’t let your feelings for Mikhail cloud your investigation into this. Find out what you can, and if Mikhail has instigated this, I will personally deal with him.” Ivan sips from a water bottle. “And be safe. Who knows who the culprit will attack next.”
I nod, and Ivan walks back into the house. I take out my phone and dial Shirley’s number.
“Hello.” Her answer is short, but I can hear chatting around her.
“Sorry, I thought you might be home,” I say quickly. “This is clearly a bad time.”
“I have a few moments,” she says. “Kira and I are just outside the bistro about to tuck into some delicious food.”
I stand up and pace. “Did you hear about Don Pacheco?” I ask curiously.
She pauses, then says, “I did. Did you have something to do with it?”
“No, our family didn’t, and I heard Ivan confirm with Alessandro that yours didn’t either.”
“Do you have any idea of who it can be?” she asks.
“I think it’s Mikhail’s family behind it,” I answer truthfully. “But I need to prove it before Ivan will deal with him.”
“Every family has a secret they don’t want to expose. I bet this one is Mikhail’s.”
I don’t like the tone she is taking, as though she’s forming a plan to personally extract the information from him. Maybe she has a secret she doesn’t want anyone to know, which bothers me. What could she possibly be hiding?
“Maybe you and Kira should go home. First, there was an explosion at our territory in lower Manhattan, then an attack at Ivan’s house, and now this. Someone is determined to get what they want, and I will die if something happens to you, Shirley.” I wait for her response, my hand shaking slightly.
Shirley says something in what sounds like Italian to Kira. At least, I assume it’s Kira. “No, Kira says we’re safe here. No one would dare attack the bistro. It’s one of Alessandro’s biggest ventures, and they would be asking for a death sentence.”
I don’t feel better because if it is Mikhail, he won’t care. He’s brazen enough to pull something like that off, especially if he thinks Shirley snubbed him.
“Just, please be careful,” I ask. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
My mind goes back to her comment about everyone having a secret they don’t want to share, and I decide to ask her about it.
“Shirley, what did you mean when…”
There’s a loud explosion, and the line goes dead.
Dread envelops my body, and I dial her back, but it goes straight to voice mail. I try again and again, hoping it’s just a bad signal.
That’s when one of my guards comes in. “A store next to the Sorvino’s Bistro has been blown up, sir.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. I grab my holster, throw it across my body, slide my gun into it, and throw my jacket over it. If I see Mikhail there, I will fucking shoot him in the head.
Shirley had better be all right, or I won’t wait for him to arrive.
I call Dominic. I have to dial twice before he picks up. “You heard?’
“I’m on my way there,” he says. “I’m with Frankie and some of our men. It’s a disaster.”
